Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from chicken embryonic fibroblasts

• Grant number: 25/06034-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Fabiana Fernandes Bressan
• Grantee: Manuela de Campos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Among the main domestic animals present in our society, chickens are birds that are often raised for animal feed, being a source of protein and eggs. Furthermore, their importance extends into scientific and technological aspects, given that this species serves as an important study base in studies about embryonic development, genetics, cellular differentiation and immunology. Given the fact that stem cells possess a big potential for genic therapies, genetic improvement, and comprehension of cellular differentiation mechanisms, this study has as goal the reprogramming of embryonic fibroblasts of chicken (DF-1) to the state of pluripotency, and the characterization of the ciPSCs (chicken induced pluripotent stem cells) generated. For that, DF-1 cells commercially obtained will be cultivated and transducted with lentiviral vector (mSTEMCCA) or episomal vector (pMASTER 12 and pCXB-EBNA1). After the formation of colonies, cloning lineages will be selected, and the characterization will be performed in different passages through a relative abundance analysis of endogenous transcripts via RT-qPCR, alcaline phosphatase, immunocytochemistry and spontaneous differentiation. Therefore, this proposal has as goal optimizing the protocol of generation of iPSCs in chickens, broadening the knowledge about development biology and contributing to new approaches of preservation and study of bird species little characterized.